Tuesday 9 March 2010

Fast bowler Chris Swan joined a select group of Queenslanders to take three wickets in four balls in first class cricket last Saturday.

Swan turned the course of the Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield match against WA when he dismissed Michael Klinger on the fourth ball of the 56th over of the second innings, Mark Cosgrove on the sixth ball, and Cameron Borgas with the first ball of his next over.

Not only did he send the Redbacks plummeting from 1-159 to 4-159, but he became just the fourth XXXX GOLD Bulls player to achieve the rare feat of three scalps in four deliveries.

The other were Harry Frei against Tasmania at the Gabba in 1985-86, Mick Polzin against Victoria at the MCG in 1989-90, and Andy Bichel against Tasmania at Bellerive in 1994-95.

He went within an ace of joining Rusi Surti (1968-69), Jeff Thomson (1984-85) and Michael Kasprowicz (1998-99) as hat-trick heroes for Queensland.

While Cosgrove played and missed at his first ball before edging the second, hat-trick ball batsman Aaron O’Brien offered a solid defensive bat.

“I didn’t realise I was on the hat-trick until boys told me but it was no big deal,” Swan. “There was no extra pressure on me – I just wanted to get the job done.”

Swan finished with 3-59 to go with the first five-wicket haul of his first class career in the first innings.

In six first class matches this season, the Gold Coaster has taken 22 wickets at 23.52.

Just as importantly, he has contributed 262 runs at No.10 at an average of 37.42 including two half-centuries.

He now has taken 59 career wickets at an average of 29.89 since making his debut in 2006-07.